


If We're Friends

by analyticamethyst



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: after the magica debacle, she's not taking it well, webby is very worried
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-18 22:50:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15496476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/analyticamethyst/pseuds/analyticamethyst
Summary: The McDuck family has to clean up the city after Magica ravaged it, but Webby's busy wallowing in grief for a lost friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GinYang98](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinYang98/gifts).



_**“From the day we met, I knew I’d hurt you eventually.” - Lena and Webby** _

 

The city was quiet. It was peaceful, but the peace was eerie, like the citizens of Duckberg were hiding in their homes, waiting nervously for something to change. Waiting for a sign. To see if it was safe, or to snag a chance to escape.

Despite all that, a duckling was sitting on the marina, swinging her legs in the sea. Water sprayed away from her in clean arcs, disturbing the silent peace. Her hands rested on the ground, absently toying with the loose stones. To an onlooker from the streets, she seemed content.

But anyone facing her from the other way would see the silent, endless stream of tears that streaked down her cheeks and fell onto her skirt, the way her beak was crumpled to hold in the sobs, and the way her shirt and sleeves were stained with previous tears.

The quiet splashing covered the sound of quiet tears, and if anyone was looking, they didn’t notice.

The sun ticked across the sky, the only indication Webby had of the time. She didn’t remember where it had been when she arrived. She had tried to be strong. The family was trying to clean up the city, since no one else would. She had spent the morning at Fenton’s house, with Huey and Scrooge as they tried to relay what had happened behind the scenes to Fenton’s mother, who was a cop. They needed to get the information to the police so they could start helping them and so no legal troubles would come against the family, and she was their best bet. That’s what Huey had told her, at least. The oldest brother had been the most detached from the mess that went down a few days ago, and he was the most diplomatic.

Webby wasn’t diplomatic, but they needed her.

They needed her because she had been alone with Lena most of the time. Because she had the best chance of piecing together what had happened.

They were still reeling.

Webby had tried to be helpful, she really had. But every time she opened her mouth and summoned the happy memories of Lena, of her first real friend, who hadn’t even really been her friend, something bitter and bubbly rose in her throat and tears burst freely from her eyes.

Every memory felt like a fresh stab in the gut over an old wound. Memories that she had thought about the very day as that mess as happy and uplifting.

After the third try with Officer Cabrera, who was surprisingly gentle despite how Webby had seen her blow up multiple times, Huey awkwardly suggested they take lunch. She knew he and Scrooge would try and comfort her, and part of her longed for it. Part of her longed for their hugs and soothing words and to pour out the bile bubbling inside her.

But she couldn’t.

So when Officer Cabrera left to check on Fenton and Huey to get lunch, she ran.

Scrooge only turned his back for a minute, and she felt bad betraying her uncle like that, but she couldn’t stay.

She ran and ran through the city streets until she found herself at the marina, where she had been just a few days earlier, desperately convincing Donald not to take the boys and leave.

It felt like the worst thing ever then. That she might lose her brothers and her uncle, so soon after she gained them. But she powered through it, because she never believed they would really leave, and she had Launchpad.

And, even if they did leave, a small part of her reminded her that they would text, and Scrooge was her uncle now. She wasn’t alone.

But mostly, she had Lena now.

How ridiculous that seemed in hindsight. She was so grateful she still had her brothers and her uncle, but she had lost her best friend.

If she was ever her best friend to begin with.

Webby was usually perceptive, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Granny had made sure of that.

But she was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t notice the awkward, hesitant footsteps approaching until a hand landed on her shoulder and a quiet, nervous voice asked, “Webby?”

Webby jumped back, and Lena did too, looking more nervous than Webby had ever seen her. Lena had always been cool and confident, even when they were in danger. A couple nights ago, she had seen Lena’s facade shatter, and it was almost as unsettling as when Magica haughtily informed her Lena had never been her true friend at all.

Lena’s eyes tracked over the tears on her cheeks and she clutched her hands in front of her chest.

Webby stood up slowly and faced the other duck, wiping her cheeks. “Lena,” she replied hesitantly. “Where have you been?”

After Magica had been defeated, she had simply vanished. They had searched and searched, but… nothing.

Webby had almost given up hope.

But here she was, standing right in front of her, with her familiar long black sweater, now torn and dirty, and pink hair. There were small cuts all over her, some of which had been hastily bandaged, but most were left to the open air.

Webby opened her arms and froze, not sure whether to hug her or sock her in the jaw.

Lena shrugged. “Around. Anywhere I wouldn’t be found,” she replied quietly.

Webby bit her lip. Behind her eyes, memories spun of days searching, of hope dwindling into far-fetched fantasies, of the identical disappointed and pitying look in everyone’s eyes when they finally gave up, and the stone that dropped in her stomach when she gave up.

“We looked really hard,” she finally replied.

Lena stared at her feet. “I know.”

Not sure how to reply, Webby let out a long sigh and turned to face the ocean again. While she had been talking to Lena, the sun had dipped below the horizon and was steadily sinking, casting  glowing amber rays across the deep blue water.

She didn’t look at Lena. She couldn’t. So she bit her lip and stared as the sun slid slowly below the inky waves.

But then she heard a soft sound, so quiet she wasn’t sure if she’d really heard it, or if she had imagined it.

Then it came again. And again.

Sobs.

Webby turned to look up at Lena who was staring out at the water as well. Her beak was trembling and tears were flowing from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks, splattering on the rocks below. “I’m sorry,” she gasped. “I’m so sorry, Webby. I didn’t… I didn’t…”

Webby stared, unsure what to do.

Lena gulped and rubbed at her eyes before continuing. “I never meant to hurt you- well, I did, I knew I was going to have to hurt you, but I never really expected for it to happen. I tried to stop Aunt- Aunt Magica at the end, but I waited too long. She was too powerful.”

She fidgeted with her shirt. “I’m tired of hiding. I was going to leave, to steal a ship and run away to anywhere that would have me. But you’re here. I guess that’s lucky,” she laughed. “I can’t really leave without saying goodbye.”

Webby stared at her friend. _She’s leaving. I just got her back and now she’s leaving again. For real this time._

Lena absentmindedly swiped on her eyes. “Webby, you were my only real friend since, like, kindergarten. My dad moved around a lot, and I was always too  _weird_  for everyone else. I stopped going to school in second grade. Then it was just me and Aunt Magica, and all she wanted to do was train me. I never had time for friends. These past few months have been horrible, but they’ve also been some of the best in my life because I finally had a real friend.”

Webby blinked. Lena was always her first friend, but she had never suspected she might be  _her_  first too.

“Were you ever really my friend?” she asked quietly.

Lena sniffled quietly and took a moment to respond. “Well- um- from the day we met, I knew I’d hurt you eventually. Aunt Magica made sure of that. But that first day, with the messages in bottles - I never expected you to respond. Aunt Magica pointed Huey, Dewey and Louie out to me, when they left on their boat, and the messages were supposed to be for  _them._  I doubted they’d take the bait, but it was fun while it lasted. And then  _you_  came, and Aunt Magica got so excited because she recognized you. And you liked me, and wanted to be my friend. You invited me into the mansion - and suddenly everything started speeding up. She’d been talking about getting revenge on Scrooge for years, but it never really felt like it would ever happen. Suddenly it was real and rushing towards me, and I had to betray you all.” She hugged her sides. “But we’re friends, Webby. I hope. Are we?”

It was bizarre to see Lena’s casual facade shatter into a million pieces right before her eyes. Webby shook the pieces of the old Lena out of her vision and took in the new Lena, emotional Lena, with no strings attached.

She stood up and offered Lena her hand. “If you want, we can be friends now. No betrayal. No Magica. Just us.”

Lena sniffled and grinned, accepting her hand. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

Webby beamed, her first real smile since Magica had come. “Me too.” She glanced back at the sun just as it slid below the now-black waters. Her smile faded as the faces of her family flooded her mind, tired and worried. Her grip tightened on Lena’s hand.

Lena stopped drying her eyes and glanced down, worried. “What’s wrong?”

Webby sighed. “I’ve been out here for a while. My family is probably really worried. We should go back.”

Lena stiffened. “Maybe I shouldn’t go.”

Webby’s head jerked up to stare at her friend, who was avoiding her eyes and nervously fidgeting with her shirt. “No- you have to! I can’t lose you again!”

Lena blinked in surprise. “I won’t leave the city, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Webby set her jaw. For the first time in three days, everything was crystal clear. She knew exactly what she had to do. “No, you have to come back with me. They’ll be happy to see you, I promise. And you’ll need to see them sooner or later if we can still hang out like we used to.”

Lena hesitated, then nodded warily. “Okay.” Her grip on Webby’s hand tightened. “Let’s do this. For our friendship.”

Webby smiled and raised their joined hands in the air like they had just won something. “For our friendship. We can do this!”


	2. Chapter 2

For the first time in three days, Webby was happy.

She was nervous and tingling with renewed energy from her head to her toes, but she was happy.

She snuck another glance at Lena, walking beside her. Her friend had gained some of her usual casual composure back since their talk on the marina, but she was still trembling and her face was a cross between fighting a smile and fighting tears. Webby could sense the knot of nerves in her belly, much bigger than hers.

They walked together through the quiet streets, breathing in the warm dusk air. The silence of the city wrapped around them like a comforting blanket. The chilling crackle of energy from the silence was overshadowed by the soothing vibes emitted from her and Lena. Webby saw at least five curtains twitch. The city was coming back to life.

They only got a few blocks away from the marina before a faint call broke the silence.

“Webby? Webby!”

“Over here!” Webby called back, waving her free arm even though she knew her searcher couldn’t see her. A fresh bout of nerves and joy burst through her at the thought of seeing the rest of her family again. Her time with Lena felt like a hazy memory, and the sharp edges of reality were poking into her daydream.

Yet, somehow, here Lena was, holding her hand and looking around nervously.

The pattering of webbed feet on gravel grew louder and louder, and Dewey burst onto the street from around the corner. He beamed triumphantly when he spotted Webby, though it was shadowed by the worry in his eyes and Webby felt a twinge of guilt for making him - and the rest of her family - worry about her, especially in this time of crisis.

His smile faded and his eyes widened as his gaze shifted to Lena, who suddenly found the ground very interesting.

Webby smiled awkwardly at Dewey. “We had a talk.”

He eyed Lena warily for a minute before shrugging. “Okay, but Uncle Donald is probably going to yell at you.”

Lena shrugged and chuckled wryly. “I think I can handle that. Besides, I deserve it.”

The three of them hesitated for a moment, not sure what to say, before Webby broke the silence. “We’re heading back to the mansion. Unless you were going to bring me somewhere else?” she asked Dewey.

The middle triplet shook his head. “We were going to meet back at the mansion anyway. Mrs. Beakley is cooking dinner, and Launchpad is flying Uncle Gladstone in to see us, but everyone else is out looking for you.”

Webby’s cheeks flushed and guilt rushed up her throat, making her words sticky in her mouth. “But you and Huey were going to go visit the citizens of Duckberg today and start convincing people to come out of their homes. And Uncle Scrooge was going to help Gyro rebuild the project that was lost when Magica smashed the lab.”

Dewey shrugged. “We’re all really worried about you, Webby,” he replied simply, squeezing her hand.

Webby hung her head. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I made everybody worry.”

Dewey shook his head. “No, I’d rather not have the same conversation with angry people over and over again anyway. They love reminding me that I’m not the mayor. The mayor is hiding in his house like everyone else. I’d make a better mayor!” He puffed out his chest indignantly.

Webby snorted. “You’d rename it Deweyburg.”

“Nope! Dewdonia.” Dewey replied matter-of-factly.

“That’s your fake country!” Webby exclaimed with a laugh.

“It doesn’t have to be fake,” Dewey shot back. “If I become mayor, which I should, it could be real!”

“If anyone was to become mayor, wouldn’t it be Scrooge?” Lena put in.

Dewey gave her a surprised glance, as if he’d forgotten she was there. “He technically owns the town. If he was mayor he wouldn’t be making a profit.”

“Then you’d have to pay him,” Webby pointed out.

Dewey shrugged. “Nuh-uh. I’ll be a billionaire in like, three years.”

Lena chuckled. “What makes you say that?”

Dewey smiled at her. “I just will.”

She smiled back and shook her head. “Can’t argue with that.”

Dewey pumped his fist in the air, making the two girls laugh. After a moment, he joined in.

They rounded the corner and walked up to the mansion, pausing at the gates looming over them. Lena leaned her head back to stare at them, her eyes wide, and she started to squeeze Webby’s hand. Webby wasn’t sure if she was aware of it. She squeezed back.

“It’ll be okay,” Webby whispered. “They’re family. Families fight sometimes, but they always make up.”

Beside her, Dewey coughed and looked away, and Webby knew she’d have to re-evaluate her words later. But right now, the word just flowed through her and her gut told her it was the right thing to say.

“They’re not my family,” Lena replied quietly.

“Not yet,” Webby corrected.

Lena sighed and shook her head. She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “Webs, I’m so lucky you listened to me and forgave me. But I don’t know if they will.”

“You have to try,” Webby insisted. She struggled to conjure up the latest thing she and Louie had been working on - puppy eyes.

Even if they worked, Lena didn’t seem to see her. Her eyes turned glassy and her hand slipped through Webby’s grasp. She didn’t seem to notice.

“I’m sorry, Webs. This was a mistake.”

Webby squeezed her eyes shut as Lena turned away and started down the walkway.

She waited for the crunch of gravel as her friend’s footsteps faded away forever, but it never came.

Lena stood frozen a step away from her like a deer in headlights. Across from her stood Scrooge McDuck.

Huey, Louie, Donald, Gyro, Fenton, and Officer Cabrera were there too, but Lena was only focused on Scrooge.

Everyone seemed at a loss for words.

After a few minutes of silence, Louie inched up the driveway to poke Scrooge. “Uhh, Uncle Scrooge? I’m really hungry.”

Huey sighed.

Scrooge groaned. “Wait just a moment, lad.”

“You’ve already ruined the dramatic moment,” Dewey pointed out.

Louie shrugged. “So, can we eat now?”

“We have ta work this out,” Scrooge sighed, before refocusing his attention on Lena. “Soooo, lass, yew, uh what are ye doin’ here?”

Lena fidgeted with her undershirt. “I met Webby by the marina and we talked. She convinced me not to leave. She said I could stay here, but… maybe it was a mistake. I’m sorry. I’ll leave.” The words burst out of her with a gasp and the minute she was done she couldn’t meet Scrooge’s eyes.

Scrooge glanced at Webby, and a silent conversation flitted back and forth between them. I trust her. Did she manipulate you at all? No, she’s really sorry. She was going to leave. She has nowhere else to go. 

The trillionaire walked slowly up the driveway and put his hand on Lena’s shoulder. She glanced up at him, sniffling. Lena was significantly taller than the kids, but still not quite as tall as Scrooge or Donald.

“Lass, there’s always a home for ye here, if ye want it,” he told her simply, before pressing the buzzer on the gate and calling for Mrs. Beakley.

Lena breathed out a sigh of relief and Webby wrapped her arms around her happily. Scrooge glanced back at them, smiling softly, and then Dewey jumped into the hug, squeezing tight. Huey and Louie followed him, and Donald pulled Scrooge into the hug too. The old miser let out a displeased snort, but he was smiling.

Thick arms wrapped around them all and picked them all up. The ducks let out cries of surprise, and Mrs. Beakley laughed and set them down.

Scrooge backed away instantly, adjusting his spectacles and brushing off his coat.

“Dinner’s ready,” the housekeeper announced nonchalantly, winking at Webby and Lena. The kids giggled.

“Yes! Finally!” Louie crowed, racing past his great-uncle and straight into the house. Donald let out a surprised “Wak!” and hurried after his nephew, probably to make sure he didn’t break anything.

Beakley squeezed Webby and Lena into a hug of their own. “Stop running off like that,” she whispered fiercely. “It does no good for anyone.”

Webby beamed up at her. “Yes, Granny.”

Beakley turned her iron stare on Lena, who smiled. “Whatever you say, Abbey Road.”

The housekeeper shook her head and walked ahead of them inside.

Webby glanced around. Huey was nearly at the door with Gyro, Manny, and Fenton, talking excitedly about something science-related. Dewey and Officer Cabrera were nowhere to be seen.

She and Lena were alone.

She grinned up at her friend, who was taking in McDuck Manor as if she was seeing it for the first time. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

Lena smiled down at her - a real, genuine smile. “So am I.”

Webby’s smile turned mischievous. “Are you crying?”

Lena turned away quickly. “No! No way!”

Webby giggled. “Whatever you say, you adorable liar. Race you inside!”

The two girls shot past Team Science, who shot them confused looks, and into the house, laughing all the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (ha ha ha!) Bells on bob-tail ring  
> Making spirits bright  
> What fun it is to ride and sing  
> A sleighing song tonight. OHHHHHHHH JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE ALL THE WAAAAAAAAY- you heard nothing.
> 
> I know I said this would be fluffy but ehhhhhh… writing angst is fun :’D
> 
> Welp, this is it for the story! I might right a 500 word epilogue of Lena getting adopted and I had an idea for a sequel ish but this is the official end of the story :P Lena needs to get adopted in canon. It must happen. 
> 
> Thank you guys for liking one of the only stories I’m actually proud of and for supporting my first fanfic on AO3! :)
> 
> Team Science is what Frank calls Gyro, Fenton, and Manny btw. I’m adding Huey to the minute because he NEEDS to be part of Team Science. It is the law.

**Author's Note:**

> THE ANGST/COMFORT TRAIN IS COMING INTO THE STATION CHOO CHOO BOYS  
> This was a request on tumblr for my friend ginyang98! I don't usually post my requests here, but I liked this one. 
> 
> This was so fun to write :P it was also weird, though, because Lena is so cool and calm and casual all the time, it was bizarre to write her breaking down. I hope I did it all right! The whole family is struggling during the aftermath, but Webby most of all, because she and Lena were so close. 
> 
> I tried to leave the ends loose so it can fit into canon, but for this story what happened is Lena tried to chicken out at the last second but Magica convinced her to stay, she revealed herself to the fam and then ran off. They defeated Magica and now they’re trying to tie up loose ends and stuff.
> 
> I’m totally not planning a fluffy sequel where Lena gets adopted oh no


End file.
